I needed a stick of dynamite. A jackhammer might have helped. But, I had neither and so I was left with a container that didn’t want to be opened and a lot of frustration.
Why do companies who package products, especially food products, do this to their customers? Is it to keep unscrupulous people from tampering? In this day and time when we have spies in the skies and cameras at stop lights and plains clothes people whose identities remain mysterious, why should we need open-proof packaging to keep out those who’d do the product harm?
Maybe if someone pulled a container of orange juice from the cooler and tried to twist off the lid to take a sip, a little hidden camera could whir and a disembodied voice could shout, “Stop, thief!” Why burden the poor shopper with yet one more hurdle before she can pour a glass of orange juice for breakfast?
Could it be as I’ve grown older, my fingers and hands have grown weaker? Is it just that I don’t rise to the challenge of lids that were made to stay closed? Take the orange juice container, for instance. I really like a certain brand that I’ve bought for years. But, getting to the point of actually pouring that lovely beverage from Florida into a glass and drinking it has gotten to be harder and harder. The directions were to open here. I twisted it and turned it. The lid would not budge. Peering more closely at the stubborn thing, I saw that there was a perforation around the lid. So, I got a knife and tried to insert it in the perforation. The knife blade was too thick. I got a sharper knife and slid the point into the perforation, twisted, pried, tapped with the knife handle, held it under hot water, grabbed a dish cloth, and turned again. Ah! Success! The lid turned and there it was, lying on the floor, true, but the container was open!
After mopping up the spilled juice, I poured a glass of Florida sunshine and boy! Was it good. I was tired. I was hungry and thirsty and jubilant. I had won the battle of the sealed carton. And then, it dawned on me. The manufacturer was actually on my side. He had thoughtfully packaged his product so that when I finally was able to break into it, I would feel empowered and victorious. Not only would I start the day with a tasty supply of vitamin C, I would eat breakfast with a giddy flush of triumph. I had won the battle of the sealed container. And, all that exertion had whipped up a pretty good appetite. Never had a glass of orange juice tasted so good!
Speak Your Mind